Ryerson University’s Ben Barry has helped change the way people think about beauty and body image. His research explores the intersections between size, age, height, race, culture, gender, sexuality, and ability diversity. He is dedicated to the idea of a fashion industry in which diversity is the norm rather than the exception. His work played an integral role in changing the global view of female beauty through the Quebec Charter For Healthy and Diverse Body Image.

He is the director of the university’s Fashion Diversity Lab, which has been influential in advancing policy and research related to equity, diversity, and inclusion in fashion.

Barry also leads Refashioning Masculinity, a research project that unleashes the power of fashion to re-imagine men’s gender identities and foster their diversity.

“So many people feel excluded from fashion because they don’t feel their size, shape, age, disabilities, gender expression and identity are valued....I said that I hoped to revolutionize fashion education, the industry and the world."

Ben Barry

Director of Ryerson University's Fashion Diversity Lab

More Stories

Using big data to help solve one of the major global health challenges